Robert Frost's poem "A Cliff Dwelling" reminds me of the people who must have lived here "Oh years ago--ten thousand years" and enjoyed the beauty and safety of a cliff. A place "to rest from his besetting fears". Welcome to mine.

In 2014 I featured a series of blog posts introducing you to 2,014 names. For the most part they were names that were brand new to me as well. Some names may be more familiar but I found the meaning or origin or some other aspect of the name made it worthy of inclusion here. You may love some of the names, you may hate some, but hopefully you enjoy learning about all of them.

Names Featured on this blog

Saturday, August 30, 2008

One of these days I won't be behind and I'll be able to post just one song. But the songs for yesterday and today are Crests of Waves and Animals. Really like Crests of Waves. The Animals video is a live video. The song is just ok to me.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Wow, looks like I have really not been keeping with it on these posts. Sorry to get behind. The songs for the last two days and today are I Bloom Blaum, 1.36, and I ran away. It's late at night however, so I haven't actually listened to these songs yet (which are from the B Sides album, disc 2). I will post what I think about them tomorrow. You will need to click here to listen to Bloom, Blaum as I didn't find a video for it.

I'm back! So, I think 1.36 doesn't sound anything like what you would expect from Coldplay, but I still really like it. I like I ran away even more. For some reason, I felt like they sounded sort of like the Beatles in this one. Am I the only one that thinks this? But really, I think that I Bloom, Blaum is my favorite, so beautiful. I wonder why these songs aren't more well-known?

Sunday, August 24, 2008

I didn't realize that I had missed a couple of days, so there are three songs for today. They are For You and Harmless (both from the Without Parachutes album, 2002) and One I Love, from the B Sides album (disc 2). I really like For You and Harmless. One I Love is not bad, but I was expecting something more with such a nice title. However, I LOVE the live performance I'm posting. They definitely have a very "cool" rockstar vibe in this performance. And even though I'm not crazy about the song as a whole, I do really enjoy some of the components. I think Chris' voice sounds great here and I really enjoy the guitars.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Yes, another one. Ever since seeing Pride and Prejudice as a musical last Friday, I've been a bit obsessed with it. I have the movie (BBC version) and book on hold at the library, so I will be glad when they come in. Until then, thought I would share this fun clip (and to get my fix of Mr. Darcy for the day).

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

One of these pictures of David Beckham in the underwear ads (yes, though there are several, I have a favorite, and it's not the more famous one). However, since my brother reads my blog, I will just post a link, so I don't bombard people with images that may not be for them. And, I guess, considering who the people are who actually do read my blog, no one will post anything about the picture. Possibly, no one will even take advantage of the link. But I just want it there for you, just in case. So click here.

I kind of like this song. Apparently it's on the "playlist" for Breaking Dawn. Nice way to tie two obsessions together. Well, sort of. Breaking Dawn was such a letdown. We'll just say this is for the first few chapters (which I actually did like). Anyway, the song is from the Without Parachutes album (2002).

Monday, August 18, 2008

This is something Beth did on her blog. I'm supposed to list 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 facts about myself. The people I want to do this are Andy, Mom, and Manja.

JoysI found my watch!Listening to Coldplay all the timeMen who go running with their shirts off (well, the ones with nice bodies anyway). Honestly, they are a gift from God.

FearsThat someone I love will dieThat I will be in some horrible car wreck and not die, but be paralyzed or otherwise injured for life.That my whole world will come crashing down and I will end up back where I was, frozen by anxiety and depression.

GoalsFigure out a career plan for myselfOwn my own homeLose weight

3 Current Obsessions/Collections

I guess everyone knows I have quite the cross stitch collectionAlso, I have a lot of scrapbook stuffAnd, yeah, notice the song of the day? Uh huh, Coldplay is my big obsession right now.

Facts about myself

My blood type is O, but I don't know if I'm positive or negative! (need to look in my scrapbook to find that one out)My ears are pierced but I almost never wear earrings (or any jewelry for that matter)I toss and turn constantly at night and always have

I like this song. Love the nice and easy sound of the guitar in this song. It does just sound like Chris playing the guitar and singing, instead of the whole band making the song, but it's still quite nice.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Today's song is Careful Where You Stand from the Without Parachutes album (2002). This is a nice song. Very slow, but it expresses a very nice sentiment. The video is just a slideshow someone put together, though.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

I know, you thought you'd never see another one of these, did you? But, it comes courtesy of books. Namely, my book of Robert Frost poems came today. Yay! And I started reading the last Twilight book. Yay with a twinge of sadness. Not just because it is the last book, but also because I'm rather disappointed. Yes, for the obvious reason and also for two others you might not have thought of. I'm not really that into the direction she's taking the story, it's just not as interesting to me as some of the possibilities I had imagined were. And also, I don't really like how she's approached the story that much, I can think of better ways she could have done it. Oh well. I'm not quite halfway through, so maybe it will turn around. Let's hope.

The songs for today are One I Love and See You Soon, both from the Live 2003 album. Now, as for "One I Love", I'm actually not crazy about the song itself, but you should watch the video anyway, because it was very entertaining. There's a lot of energy in this performance and the way the shots are edited together really works. I do like See You Soon, though. It's mostly just Chris playing the guitar and singing, but it's very nice for this song.

And, for those interested, a comment about why Chris seems so much more appealing in these performances with the long sleeve white shirt. It could be the short haircut, it could be the beard, it could be how old he was, but, I'm really thinking it's mostly the shirt, or...oops, I was about to go into too much embarrassing detail. You get the picture.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

The songs for Saturday and today are the last 2 from the Parachutes album: Spies and Sparks. I have really grown to like Spies. It's my second favorite on the Parachutes album after Yellow (which I have been listening to more than Viva la Vida lately). I also love how smooth and easygoing Sparks is.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

That's right, I haven't posted the first 4 songs from the Parachutes album. So today's song is Don't Panic. I love this song. I've included the music video and a live performance. It was hard to pick the right live performance, though. I think I've picked the one that has the best combination of a good performance and Chris is rather sexy in this one (seems to be my weak spot lately).

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Not sure why Coldplay decided to have this song be the title for the album. It's a nice song, rather sad, though. What do you think? I think in this particular performance, Chris's voice is so sultry. Well, I like it anyway.

This is one of Robert Frost's poems. It describes pretty perfectly how I feel. Wandering through the woods, even after it's rained and you get all wet and muddy, is so magical, it's like being in love. Put the two together, and you have heaven. (The title of this poem does nothing to convey its sentiment)

A Line-Storm Song

The line-storm clouds fly tattered and swift. The road is forlorn all day,Where a myriad snowy quartz stones lift, And the hoof-prints vanish away.The roadside flowers, too wet for the bee, Expend their bloom in vain.Come over the hills and far with me, And be my love in the rain.

The birds have less to say for themselves In the wood-world's torn despairThan now these numberless years the elves, Although they are no less there:All song of the woods is crushed like some Wild, earily shattered rose.Come, be my love in the wet woods, come, Where the boughs rain when it blows.

There is the gale to urge behind And bruit our singing down,And the shallow waters aflutter with wind From which to gather your gown.What matter if we go clear to the west, And come not through dry-shod?For wilding brooch shall wet your breast The rain-fresh goldenrod.

Oh, never this whelming east wind swells But it seems like the sea's returnTo the ancient lands where it left the shells Before the age of the fern;And it seems like the time when after doubt Our love came back amain.Oh, come forth into the storm and rout And be my love in the rain.

And, on a note of loss, I have never found my book of Robert Frost's complete poems (well, it was actually Dad's, but I stole it, and now it's lost forever! It's so sad!). I rather suspect that it was somewhere in the Geo when I sold it to the mechanic and I got my stuff out of the car, but must have left that (since it went with me on the camping trip that weekend and I haven't seen it since. No doubt, it is not being appreciated if anyone has even found it. That is so sorrowful.) I guess I will have to buy some other version of his complete poems. I hardly want to settle for a paperback version, though. Hmm. Maybe I will look into this.

Monday, August 4, 2008

But still obsession-oriented. I have been reading the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer. For those who don't know, they are romance novels about a teenage girl and a teenage boy/vampire (well, and the other love interest, a teenage werewolf). I totally love these books and devoured the first three in one week exactly. Now I'm just waiting for my sister-in-law to get the fourth volume in the mail, and once she reads it, she's letting me borrow it. This is the responsible thing to do. I keep telling myself that to keep me from stopping at Barnes and Noble and buying the book myself. Although, I have also contemplated stopping at Barnes and Noble each night this week and just reading the book in the store. But since I haven't gotten ANYTHING done while I've been reading these books, I figured that a break is actually probably a good thing (and it was, since I was able to exercise tonight, of which I am very proud even though it was only for ten minutes).

Back to the books. It's actually very ironic that I like these books so much. My friend who has read them gets frustrated with the characters, but me? Nope. Not one iota. Even though the vampire is a very controlling boyfriend, fine by me (well, I wish he weren't, but I just let that slide and go right ahead wanting them to be together). Does a normal person need to be lifted into the car when there's ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong with them? No, but, that's just how things work in this book and I take it all in and the feminist in me does not come out. You would think I would be tearing the story to shreds for all of the romance novel cliches it falls into, yet I don't, I eagerly turn the page wanting more.

You are welcome to laugh at me. I don't care, as long as this lady keeps writing these books, and they continue to be good like they have been, I will gladly be laughed at.

Anyway, for those of you who do read the books, I do have a couple of opinions to share on the few issues the book raises. First, should she pick Jacob or Edward? Both. I like the idea of her having both of them and it anguishing them and her every step of the way (or not, if they could live with that arrangement). Second, should she become a vampire? No. I understand her wanting to be with Edward forever, but I think the love story there will suffer once there isn't that tension of "is he going to suck the blood right out of her and make her undead" and also, even if she's just living off the blood of mountain lions and bears, I think she should stick to a human diet (um, as in, not drinking blood, not as in drinking human blood). Sure, she will age and Edward won't and it will soon disgust society that he's with an old woman, but I think that's part of the appeal of their love story: that it is rather impossible for them to live happily every after (I just don't think her becoming a vampire is a 'happily ever after' ending, really). Um, yeah, that's really the only issues the book raises. Oh well, I guess I think that if she does get her vampire wish, that the werewolf pack should stick to the idea of punishing the Cullens for breaking the treaty by biting a human. It might have a tragic end, but I kind of want Edward and Jacob to face off in the end (enough of the posturing already! well, not really enough of that, but in the end, do have them face off). Also, I do like it when the heroine actually takes actions that the other characters don't want her to take. Have her go through with one of her drastic ideas, however stupid, I rather like it and the problems it would cause. Make them scramble or have her suffer terribly, whatever, that is something I would like the author to do more (she did a good job of it in the 2nd book, but only did it once or twice in the third. When she had that sharp stone ready to slice her hand, she should have done it, rather than just Edward noticing that she was going to. Ugh. Please, follow through on these things.)

That's all, for now. Until I read the fourth book and have to wait a year (hopefully no longer) for the fifth book.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

I have been so obsessed reading the Twilight books, that I've kind of fallen behind in posting these songs. Yesterday and today's songs are Daylight and Green Eyes. I like Daylight, though there are parts that annoy me. And I like Green Eyes, though I wonder why he refers to her that way instead of using a name. I never call someone by their eye color. Anyhow, here are the videos with the songs. Chris is really interesting to watch play the piano on the Daylight video. I don't know who shot the Green Eyes video, but I think it's really good (it was shot in Berlin, that much I know). So enjoy!

Friday, August 1, 2008

Sorry I didn't post a song of the day yesterday. And one of Coldplay's best songs, too. The Scientist. The song for today is their grammy-winner Clocks. My expectation is that you can't do anything but love both songs. How would you rate them compared with the songs I've posted so far?

John Denny in New Castle County, Delaware

"Egoiste"

Lockhart House

Was this the Samuel Lockhart, captain of the Sloop Mary in the 1720s?

First Regiment Maryland Infantry - Civil War

from vol 11 page 185 of Historical Papers and Addresses of the Lancaster County Historical Society

From the Pennsylvania Archives

Samuel Lockhart - landowner in Augusta County

Josiah and Robert Lockhart - subscribers to a new road from Philly to Lancaster June 1792

land Josiah Lockhart (not the Brigadier General) had title to in Pennsylvania.

My Great-grandmother's Family Tree

Harriet Esther Laramie was my father's paternal grandmother. Her father was French Canadian and an early settler of Escalante, Utah. Harriet was a beekeeper and ran a ranch and raised 10 children on her own after her husband died in his forties. My dad has fond memories of "Grandma".